This Highly Customized Florida Wedding Was a Family Affair

Colleen and Sean Rooney first met through their children, who went to the same school together. However, it was a conversation at a hardware store in Avalon, New Jersey that really brought them together. “I invited Sean to a party I was having the next day and he came,” Colleen recalls. The two enjoyed spending time watching the sunset throughout their relationship, so it completely surprised Colleen when Sean brought her to the beach on a Wednesday in late April 2021 at sunset and got down on one knee to propose. “I was speechless at the beauty of it all—his words, down on one knee, the sunset, and that ring," she reminisces. "Wow!”

The couple knew they wanted to invite guests to Palm Beach, Florida, where Sean’s family has a close connection. For the ceremony, they had their 250 guests join them at St. Edward Roman Catholic Church for an Irish Catholic ceremony. The couple are members at The Beach Club in Palm Beach, so it was an easy choice for the reception location. “It’s a club we belong to and they know both of our families, so the service was just so personalized,” Colleen says. Since Sean’s family is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ majority owners, the bride and groom decided to kick off the wedding weekend with a game watch party.

The couple worked with Meredith Falk of GLDN Events to guide them through the planning process for their December 11, 2021, wedding. “We could not have done it without her and her team,” Colleen says. “They were beyond exceptional!”

GLDN Events helped Colleen and Sean pull together a timeless, family party with views of the water and a “wow” factor in the ballroom. Read on to see how they pulled off their wedding vision, photographed by Sarah DiCicco.

Colleen and Sean worked with Stephanie Marion from Brandspired to create the paper products for their welcome bags, along with an itinerary and a list of their favorite places in Palm Beach. Guests received custom canvas bags with the couple’s monogram filled with snacks including popcorn, fruit, and candy. They even included hats with their custom monogram embroidered on them.

Colleen wore a white off-the-shoulder Oscar de la Renta gown with a mermaid silhouette and 3-D flower appliqué details. “It just felt like magic ​​when I put it on,” she shares. “I felt like a young girl getting married for the first time!” The bride wanted to look like herself on her big day, so she opted to go with a light and fresh makeup look, a simple pink manicure, and the fragrance she wears on a daily basis. She chose to hold an all-white floral bouquet tied in a white ribbon.

Before heading to the ceremony, Colleen shared a special first look with her son.

Sean and his best man had custom tuxedos made by Damari Savile in Philadelphia. Sean also wore cufflinks made from Steelers Super Bowl rings as a nod to his family’s team. To complete his look, he donned a white floral boutonniere.

The couple’s ceremony took place at St. Edward Roman Catholic Church. “The ceremony was the most important part for us and the church was just so beautiful on its own, we kept it traditional and very to the point,” Colleen says. The altar was flanked by two large ivory floral arrangements, and chandeliers hung from the church’s ceiling.

Colleen and Sean decided to skip having a first look before the ceremony. “Sean wanted the first look to be me, coming down the aisle at St. Edward’s Church,” Colleen says. As the organist played, she walked down the aisle with her children by her side.

Colleen and Sean exchanged vows at the altar as their guests watched on and their children surrounded them. “It was magical,” Colleen remembers. “The sunlight was streaming through the stained-glass windows. You could just feel the love and we felt so truly blessed!”

After the ceremony, Colleen and Sean hopped in a getaway car (decked out in Steelers’ signage, of course!) and shared some bubbly on their way to the reception.

Once they arrived at The Beach Club, Colleen and Sean took portraits and family photos in front of the ocean views. The ladies of the wedding party wore white, while the men wore tuxedos. The couple’s grandson, who was just a few months old at the time, was their ring bearer. “Our children were the only people we wanted in our wedding party,” Colleen says. “They are our daily party!”

As they entered the ballroom, guests found their escort cards on a greenery wall display and sipped on the couple’s signature drinks, champagne and O’Doul’s beer. “The ballroom was truly transformed into something stunning,” Colleen remembers. Long mirrored tables were paired with gold chairs surrounding a custom dance floor featuring the couple’s monogram. Palm trees, tall centerpiece arrangements with palm leaves and white flowers, white chandeliers, and a pampas grass installation drew the eye to the ballroom’s high ceilings.

The tabletops were customized to feature a green and black pattern that was seen on all the paperwork at Colleen and Sean’s wedding, including the menus at each place setting. The tablescape included tealights, floating candles in gold rimmed hurricanes, and white bud vases. At each seat, guests found a white textured plates paired with a black suede napkin.

Colleen and Sean decided to skip a traditional first dance together. Instead, they entered the reception with all of their children to “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk The Moon.

Guests enjoyed either filet mignon or halibut for dinner as the Georgia Bennett Orchestra played on at the reception. For dessert, the newlyweds cut into four-tiered red velvet and carrot wedding cake from Earth and Sugar. The confection featured a marble design on the first layer, a gold design on the second layer, and white flower and palm-leaf embellishments.

Colleen and Sean spent their honeymoon in Ireland for the entire month of July. To couples planning their wedding, they recommend hiring a great planner. “We can not say it enough that Meredith and her team were a true blessing,” Colleen says, “She helped execute a vision that we were not very clear on–her expertise and ideas were invaluable!"